happiness is ...

relative per individual.


Dad's been wanting to get to Knoxville for a week or so now so he can get some fish for his fish tank. I have been asking him if we can go pick up another beer kit, since the first batch has been all bottled and my fermenters are now empty and awaiting some flavored liquid.

When we head to Knoxville, we typically hit a couple other places as well. Woodcraft is a near definite everytime we head over. Not that we need something from there, but is always fun (for me, anyway) to look. This may be the one place, that I understand what window shopping is about.

So anyway, we head over that way. Northern Equipment (another neat store) is on the docket today as well. Dad wants to look at a wood stove for the new addition (a screened-in jacuzzi room). They didn't have what Dad was looking for, so we headed off to the homebrew supply store.

In the same shopping center where the brew supply store is, there is a neat little international delicatessen with all types of good meats and cheeses and jams, and ... and ... and ....      Man! could spend *all* kinds of money in there! We picked up some kielbasa, cheese, mustard, and a couple different types of sausages.

From there, we head over next door to the homebrew store! I had seen an IPA kit on their website that looked like it was a great candidate to be my next brew. However, upon perusal of their shelves, they didn't have an IPA kit in stock. BUMMER!

So I show the man  (whom turns out to be the co-owner, and all around cool guy) a recipe I got off the internet that is a clone recipe for Fat Tire (a New Belgium red ale which is pretty tasty). After looking over the ingredients he informs me it's an all-grain recipe and after hearing what equipment I have and my (lack of) brewing experience goes about discouraging me.

He tells me 'I am supposed to sell you whatever you want, but, while you *could* do it with the equipment you have, it would be a real headache to attempt' and suggests I stick with a kit for a few more times until I get comfortable with it.

He further told me 'that he is a better enthusiast than a businessman' and that he doesn't want me discouraged by selling me something to make the process more difficult and labor-intensive. I spent over an hour in the store and learned a LOT from the man. Good stuff!

Next stop was to go to Woodcraft. They had marblewood on sale and I have never worked it before and of course the flyer makes it look really pretty ... and being 25% off, I was curious.  Additionally, I was in need of a Jacob's chuck (basically a drill arbor that fits into the tailstock of a lathe). We get there to find that neither were in stock (but they were unloading this week's shipment from the truck). After another hour, they still hadn't turned up either, but by then we wandered around long enough to see a couple other things that caught interest.

Dad was intrigued by a duplicator jig that attaches to the lathe bed and allows you to duplicate a piece you have turned. I want one ...  but someday when I am better experienced and can put it to good use.

Dad sees it, thinks it's a neat toy, and tells the salesman to get one and put on the counter. I tried to talk him down to something that would be more useful in the immediate future ... and about 1/3 the cost.

Dad shows no interest in this, so I put it back, yet we are still waiting on them to finish unloading the new stock. While they are stocking, I keep poking around this "toy store" window shopping. Dad tells one of the salesman to get that duplicator for me.

I again, tell him 'I'm not ready for it' trying to talk him out of it -- into something cheaper and more (immediately) useful. I'm not sure if he bought it for me .... or bought it to boast about having in his garage (which he refuses to use).

So anyway, we leave there and head over to the place that was the only impetus for *him* going to Knoxville, the fish store. They have an awesome assortment of fresh and salt water fish and he gets five neon tetras (one of which would die once in the tank), three sword fish (a male and two female), two cherry barbs, and two golden gourramis as well as plants to stock his tank.

His 29 gallon tank now looks full of life and he is happy, so I guess that is all that matters!